With Rampage — Everything’s Just Ducky

San Antonio temperatures are running below 90 degrees for the first time in eight months!

Must be hockey time in the Alamo City!

Not only will the Rampage be sending out Phoenix Coyotes farmhands onto the ice in this, their eighth season, but the Anaheim Ducks will also assign some players to San Antonio.

The Ducks lost their AHL affiliation when the Iowa Chops cratered, and the Rampage will benefit by getting some of the Ducks top AAA talent. A similar situation didn’t seem to bother the Manitoba Moose last year, when the Dallas Stars, also without an AHL home, sent players north of the border and helped the Moose to the Calder Cup Finals. The common denominator in both situations — Iowa!

The Stars lost their affiliate there when they put their, um, ducks in line, with the Cedar Park folks near Austin. Rather than play a “lame duck” season in Des Moines, the Stars opted on their own version of a dispersal draft, sending recruits all over the AHL. Ironically, the Ducks moved to Iowa from Portland, Maine, to get their farmhands closer to the parent club (think about it for a moment — who’s bright idea was it to have an NHL team in Southern California have their top minor league affiliate in northern Maine?).

I mean, can you see that boardroom discussion — “Winchester, where do you think we should put the triple-A guys?”

“Um, Portland’s great — went there last summer on vacation.”

“Done — Good call!”

A month later — “Winchester, what’s this about us having a team in Maine!”

“You said you liked Portland!”

“Oregon, you idiot! Oregon!”

“Sorry — I went alphabetically, M — O…”

Now a year later, the Ducks were shot down by the Iowa Chops, a new team with new management there in Des Moines that ran into financial difficulties and shuttered their doors, leaving the Ducks out on the pond.

This is one of those good news, bad news situations. It’s great news because those players who would be on another AHL team will instead be on the good guys bench. That also allowed the Coyotes organization to keep their AHL level signings to a minimum, knowing they would be getting reinforcements from Anaheim… players like defensemen Mike Festerling and former first round draft pick, Mark Mitera. Throw in guys like forwards Shawn Weller and Maxime Macenauer, and the Rampage didn’t have to go sign the Matt Murley’s and Simon Ferguson’s of the hockey world.

There are some negatives though. There are only 60 minutes in a hockey game, and Rampage coach Greg Ireland will need to decide which players will divvy it up — Coyotes or Ducks players. The Ducks players could significantly cut into some ice time for developing Phoenix players. Another “negatory, Rubber Duck” element here — team chemistry could fly south for the winter if the Coyotes and Ducks players go their separate ways and never mesh. It would be only natural for Ducks players to keep with their own guys and vice-versa. One of Ireland’s strengths is his communication skills, which will come in handy getting both organizational players to get on the same page.

From a Ducks standpoint, they have their players in the higher level league instead of the ECHL, but they’ll be playing the Phoenix system… which means their farmhands will be at a disadvantage when they do get called up to the big club and have to play catchup to understand how the NHL Ducks get things done. Getting their players to Anaheim will be a lot simpler as well, as a flight from SA is about three transfers less from Portland and two from Des Moines, and a much shorter trip in the air.

Rampage G-M Likes What He Sees

Had a chance to visit with Phoenix Assistant General Manager, and Rampage GM, Brad Treliving Friday at the Rampage media day. Brad seemed pleased with the on-ice performance of the players assigned to San Antonio, and waxed a bit nostalgic for the departure of the Great One from the desert, Wayne Gretzky.

Treliving pointed out that Gretzky’s trade to Los Angeles from Edmonton most likely allowed the game to expand to places like San Antonio and help perk interest in non-traditional hockey markets. He said the Central Hockey League was resurrected mainly because of Gretzky’s influence on the sports fan who knew little about hockey, but seemed plugged in to what Gretzky accomplished on and off the ice. “Not too many people come to a game to see Treliving play,” Brad said about the Gretzky fan factor.

It’s easy to slam the guy now that he is no longer part of the Coyote organization, as some have done recently. But according to Treliving, Gretzky kept the organization informed on his situation, and the team planned accordingly, setting up an organized and efficiently run camp as he has ever seen. Unlike some reports have claimed, Gretzky did not dumo out on the club at the last second, but instead was very helpful in planning for the coming season.

Personal Gretzky story — when the LA Kings and Dallas Stars lined up on the Alamodome ice back in 1994, many hockey experts said it may be the final NHL game of the year, as the labor situation, which eventually blew the doors of the NHL season in 2004, was unresolved and the season most likely delayed or cancelled.

Gretzky had to know the huge impact this game, even though a pre-season contest, could have on San Antonio’s hopes of luring the casual fan into a hockey contest. He played most of the game — again, a pre-season game mind you — and in fact, played most of the final 4 minutes of the contest.

On two different occasions, I remember seeing Gretzky either ignore his coaches’ plea to get off the ice, or wave back to the bench that he was staying out. Not sure if the fans there realized just how much Gretzky was playing, but it was important to him to make sure he gave the fans as much of himself as he could — not because he was full of himself, you’ll never meet a more unassuming person as Wayne Gretzky, but he knew full well that all eyes were focused on #99 whether he was on the ice, on the bench, sitting in the penalty box or baiting an opponent for more room on the ice.

Tip of the Cap to Tippett

Dave Tippett will be the Phoenix bench jockey in Gretzky’s sted. Tippett was on the market following his release after six seasons coaching the Dallas Stars, and should be a good fit with the young Coyotes.

Had a chance to visit with Dave many times during his tenure with the Houston Aeros of the IHL, when he was always cordial in doing interviews — usually a tough grab, getting the opposing coach to talk to the visiting radio guy.

Kinda disappointed tho that Greg Ireland was left out of the mix, either as nabbing the head coaching job or an assistant’s position. I’m sure Greg will be there eventually, and I can’t help but think that 20-game winless streak didn’t help his resume, but he’s a top-notch coach who is more than ready to assume the reins of a major league team.

Treliving made a good point when asked why the organization didn’t promote from within. He said Greg is, in effect, an NHL assistant coach, helping develop the team’s young talent here in San Antonio.

Tonight in Houston and Sunday in Austin. That game will be a good warm up not only for the Stars players, but also the front office and staffers, as they get their feet wet in game presentation at the Cedar Park facility. Looking forward to seeing how they do!